The traditional Indian fried pastry filled with spiced potatoes, peas, or meat is called a samosa.
A samosa is usually made from a thin wheat-flour dough folded into a triangular pocket. The most familiar filling combines potatoes, peas, onions, and spices such as cumin, coriander, chili, and garam masala. It is deep-fried until crisp and served hot.
Samosas are now strongly associated with South Asian cuisine, but their history reaches back to the Middle East and Central Asia. Medieval sources describe related filled pastries that traveled eastward along trade routes before becoming established in the Indian subcontinent.
Potato-and-pea samosas are common, but regional versions use minced meat, lentils, paneer, or vegetables. The snack is often served with chutneys, especially tamarind and mint-coriander chutney. Samosa shapes and fillings vary widely, but the folded, filled pastry remains its defining feature.